Why Intentions Can Be More Powerful Than Resolutions & How To Set Yours

The following blog post was written by Simple Habit expert Christina Agro. Christine Agrois a Spiritual Teacher and Conscious Living Expert. You can find her at www.awakenandgrow.com and on social media @christineagro.

What we think is what we create. That’s why taking the time to set your intentions for every area of your life is so important.

If we don’t set our intentions, it’s like driving with your hands off the wheel. You have no idea where you are going to end up and the path you are traveling is out of your control. The New Year is usually a time when many of us set goals and commit to resolutions, but very few of us focus on what I would argue is even more important and meaningful: intentions.

Intentions vs Goals vs Resolutions

When we set intentions, we create a road map for our subconscious to follow. When opportunities show up that match the intentions we have set, our mind recognizes them as a step on the path that leads to what we want to create.

Intentions and goals and resolutions all seem very similar, but there are a few differences.

Goals are desired results. We tend to write down our goals down and then apply time frames to them. Resolutions are the promises we make to ourselves. The things we will, or will not, do. Yet, statistics show 80% of our resolutions are broken by February.

Intentions are a great substitution for resolutions.

Why? Because intentions are more aligned with the sense of how we want to experience different aspects of our lives, without the benchmarks. We accept that these things will happen over time and in time. Setting intentions is a more focused way of setting out what you want to create in your life. Intentions do not put the focus on achieving some target. They don’t focus on whether you break a promise, thereby ‘failing.’ Intentions are more focused on the imperfect pursuit. If getting to the end of the Oregon Trail is the goal, then heading West is the intention.

We can set intentions at any time. There is no right or wrong time or place to set them.

I recommend setting intentions at the beginning of the New Year, on each New Moon, in the Spring, in the Fall and on your birthday. Setting them at times that are considered new beginnings adds an aspect of purpose to them.

How To Set Intentions For Yourself

Start by asking yourself – what do I want to create in my life? I recommend focusing on these areas:

Things that will lead to the life you desire (e.g. a new job, a relationship)

Things that will impact your quality of life (e.g having more fun, deepening friendships)

How you want your life to flow (e.g. with ease, with joy)

Next, try to envision what it would be like when your intention becomes your reality. How would you feel? In this step, you are connecting your emotions to your thought process and this helps to fortify the intention and bring it to fruition.

When setting intentions it is much easier to begin by focusing on your reality. For example, it is easier to be intentional about ‘paying off your debt’ than it is to create one million dollars. The reason? When you intend to pay off your debt, it’s specific and indicates a direction you should move towards rather than some hard number or destination you need to reach. The path isn’t tightly fixed around that one number and instead gives your subconscious more opportunities to connect with (i.e. spending less going out to dinner and opting to make your own coffee in the morning are both ways to embody your intention). Eventually, you’ll start to become more aware of the choices you can make that will lead to the realization of that intention.

5 Simple Steps To Set Intentions

Focus on what you want to create, something to impact your quality of life

Envision what it will feel like to have this in your life

Let yourself connect with and experience those feelings. Now, it’s time to write your intention

Write your intention in the following format “I am ___________.” For example, I am productive and successful rather than I will be or I want to be.

Lastly, once you’ve set out your intentions, although you can set more at any time, give yourself a few months to see what happens with these. You may want to jot down the intentions you are setting and then circle back a few months later to see what you’ve created and what has changed.

It’s important to remember, intentions are not about reaching a destination or taking one specific action. An intention is meant to help shape how you go about creating your life. So, when looking back, ask yourself – what is new? What feels different? Does this align with what I set out to create?

Ready to set your intentions? Listen to Christine Agro’s Setting Intentions series on Simple Habit.

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